October 10, 2025

Title: JUST FOR STARTERS

Constructor: Bill Conner

Editor: Jared Goudsmit

Theme synopsis:

• FINE BE THAT WAY (20A: "OK, do whatever you want, I guess")
• SO WHAT ELSE IS NEW (38A: "Well, that's hardly surprising, yeah?")
• RIGHT TURN ONLY (52A: Words on a restrictive intersection sign)

JUST FOR STARTERS: The first word (STARTER) of each theme answer can be paired with the word JUST to form a new phrase: JUST FINE, JUST SO, and JUST RIGHT.

What I learned from today's puzzle:

• RENE (59A: Environmentalist Ngongo) RENÉ Ngongo is a Congolese biologist and environmental activist. In 1994 he created the nonprofit organization OCEAN (Organization Concertée des Ecologistes et Amis de la Nature) to address threats to the Congolian rainforest, the world's second largest tropical forest (after the Amazon rainforest). 

Random thoughts and interesting things:

• BABE (9A: "I Got You ___" (Sonny & Cher song)) For me, "I Got You BABE" will forever be linked to memories of watching The Sonny & Cher Show, a variety show that aired from 1971 to 1974, and from 1976 to 1977. Sonny and Cher sang the song at the end of each episode of the show. The song was written by Sonny Bono, and features an oboe accompanied by a bassoon. You might also remember "I Got You BABE" from the movie Groundhog Day. It was the wake-up music that played each morning to wake up Phil Connors (played by Bill Murray).
• CONCH (13A: Shell used as a wind instrument) A CONCH is a variety of medium-to-large-sized sea snail. A CONCH shell (once empty!) can be made into a wind instrument.
• AMES (14A: Iowa State's city) Iowa State University is located in AMES, Iowa. Iowa State's mascot is the Cyclone. In Iowa City, which is home to the University of Iowa and is where I live, AMES is sometimes referred to as "the other university town in Iowa." 
• HUMAN (42A: "I'm only ___, after all / Don't put your blame on me") The 2016 song, "HUMAN," by Rag'n'Bone Man contains the lines, "I'm only HUMAN, after all / Don't put your blame on me." The song was the title track of Rag'n'Bone Man's debut album. "HUMAN" was used as theme music for the Amazon Prime TV shows Oasis (2017) and Tom Clancy's Jack Ryan (2018).
• EAGLE (64A: Bird of prey on Iowa's flag) Two Iowa references in today's puzzle, how about that?! Iowa's state flag has vertical stripes of blue, white, and red. On the white central stripe there is an EAGLE in flight. The EAGLE has a blue ribbon in its mouth, which has the state motto written on it, "Our liberties we prize and our rights we will maintain."
• ROD (66A: Apt name for a fisher) I'm adding this to my list of "apt name"clues. It occurs to me that ROD could also be an apt name for an eye doctor.
• SCENES (4D: There are eight in the play "The Firebugs") The Firebugs is a translation of Max Frisch's German play, Biedermann und die Brandstifter. The play, written for the radio in 1953 and adapted to the stage in 1958, has also been known as The Arsonists and The Fire Raisers. The play is a dark comedy; in one act, containing eight SCENES, the play tells the story of a town regularly attacked by arsonists who talk their way into homes, settle down in the attic, and plan the destruction of the house. The play is often seen as a metaphor for Nazism and fascism. More broadly, the play is about denial (and even complicity) in the face of impending disaster.
• B-DAY (11D: Thelonious Monk's is 10/10, for short) Thelonius Monk (1917-1982) was a jazz pianist and composer. Today would have been his 108th birthday. Happy B-DAY, Thelonius Monk (and anyone else whose birthday is today).
• SCAR (15D: Disney villain who said, "I was first in line … until the little hairball was born") This clue is, of course, a reference to The Lion King. The "little hairball" SCAR is referring to is Simba.
• SALSA (30D: ___ taquera (taco sauce)) SALSA taquera is a variety of Mexican SALSA with a smoky, spicy flavor. It is often made with roasted tomatoes, chiles de árbol, onions, and garlic.
• HANNAH (35D: "___ Montana" (Disney sitcom)) Disney's teen sitcom, HANNAH Montana, originally aired from 2006 to 2011. Miley Cyrus portrays Miley Stewart, a teenager living a double life. Miley Stewart's alter ego is a famous pop singer and the show's title character, HANNAH Montana.
• STL (40D: Lemp Brewery city (Abbr.)) The Lemp Family opened the Lemp Brewery in St. Louis (STL), Missouri in 1840. The brewery went defunct in 1920, and the factory complex and brands were sold to other companies. I mentioned the Lemp Brewery previously when I wrote about the Lemp Mansion, a historic St. Louis building often included in lists of "Spookiest Buildings."

This is the second day in a row I've had a guess about the puzzle's theme after reading the title … and been wrong. These constructors are keeping me on my toes, and keeping me humble! Today I suspected a synonym theme, and I had a nice "Aha!" moment when I realized this is instead a "word with" theme. Well, that's JUST FINE. Thank you, Bill, for this enjoyable puzzle.